Re: pews within the Church

There are many things that are "not traditional in Orthodox churches" but added to such over the centuries. For example, a study of Church architecture reveals that the iconostasis as we know it today was something basically unknown to the Church during the first centuries. In fact, there was a small railing rather than the multi-tiered wall that we have today, particularly in many slavic churches.

I might also question what exactly is "wrong" with the so-called "western influence" upon Orthodoxy? Orthodoxy continues to develop... it is not stagnant. It often takes on the "t"raditions of the cultures to which it is brought. I have a great fear that many demonize the west as though this were some sort of pariah. It isn't and I truly believe that we will witness, someday, a more "westernized" Orthodox Church... a western Patriarchate.

Mentioning that the Orthodox Church is undergoing a change (i.e. pews) because some have "wantied (six) to "fit it" with our western brothers and sisters in Christ," is NOT a bad thing provided the Faith is not compromised. And adding pews is certainly NOT compromising the Faith in any way, shape or form. Yes, there are liturgical reasons for which a pewless temple provides a space more conducive to certain practices. I might add, however, that some of the most moving a spiritual liturgies I've ever been in have been in temples which happened to have pews AND a great crowd of worshipers.

As I said before, my wife would be reluctant to go to church were she expected to stand for two hours. Providing a few chairs on the periphery and then having the more sanctimonious among us cast glances at us if we were to be so unholy as to sit (after all... it's for the OLD and INFIRM) is certainly not the answer. We've already seen that it provides a hot button in one particular parish. In my parish there is no hot button... it's a non-issue. Why? We have pews and those who stand are welcome to do so and those who sit not seen as less spiritual.

We need to be extremely careful we do not become like Pharisees, judging our brothers because their beards are not as long, they sit rather than stand and their lampadas do not contain pure olive oil.

You've opened up a can of worms here, Gregory, for it is an area in which the Old Calendarists and rigorists love to cast aspersions on those of us termed "modernists"!